Silver Member

Personally, I would recommend trading platinum through ETFs, using a brokerage account.

Recently, I have been using ETFs to trade silver, even though I am focusing on gold for my physical purchases. In this way, I have benefited from the recent plunge in the GSR during the last several weeks.

For platinum, there is an even stronger case to use ETFs, in that the dealers will use a bigger spread in their transactions with you, for both buying and selling, compared to silver and gold.

Gold Member

Platinum is tied primarily to the automotive industry and secondarily to the medical industry. These industries drive the demand and the price of the metal. Bad auto sales make the price dive. Secondarily, Russia had and probably still has a huge stockpile and they have occasionally dumped it onto the market for their own purposes. Other than that I too would recommend using ETFs for this investment. Then again, if it is not in your hand then it it is not yours.

"No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." -- New York State Surrogate Court Judge Gideon John Tucker, Final Accounting in the Estate of A.B._, 1, Tucker (N.Y. Surrogate Court) 247, 249 (1866)

Molon Labe! Deplorable Dreg!

Lynching is a premeditated extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate a group.

Gold Member

I've been buying platinum Maples last year and this year. My goal is quite simple. When the GSR hits the 40's I'm trading my silver for gold. When platinum starts moving and over takes gold again, I'll trade platinum for silver. Gold never gets traded.

Because the US Mint knows that they can get it. The premium is based upon many buyers irrational belief that something familiar (US Mint products) are worth the premium over other foreign mints' products when in fact there is indeed no difference. Some buyers believe in times of trouble that US Mint made products will be easier to sell or exchange. I guess that theory is true if you deal with the under-informed, idiots or both.

"No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." -- New York State Surrogate Court Judge Gideon John Tucker, Final Accounting in the Estate of A.B._, 1, Tucker (N.Y. Surrogate Court) 247, 249 (1866)

Gold Member

Not irrational at all --- perception is reality. Their high premium is based upon them being in perpetual short supply. That they're a US coin is necessarily going to increase their demand standing against other physical options.

Gold Member

Not irrational at all --- perception is reality. Their high premium is based upon them being in perpetual short supply. That they're a US coin is necessarily going to increase their demand standing against other physical options.

True but that "perception" is irrational. Other mint's that produce Platinum coinage produce the same quality with a lower premium. Why would you pay a premium for someone else's irrational fantasy that the mint of the country is that much better than a foreign mint's product? Add this kicker in too. The courts have held that all US coinage produced by its mints are the property of the US government and such the courts have left a legal loophole yet to be exploited for another twisted justification to allow another 1933 confiscation. (yes, I know this is just a llegal "what if" but in the last 10 years we have seen so many far fetched legal "what ifs" become judicial precedent). With a foreign coin the US government "supposedly" has no claims on the piece... then again with the way the SCOTUS justified Obama-Care as a tax, not a tax, insurance, not-insurance, mandate, voluntary, etc. anything is possible.

"No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." -- New York State Surrogate Court Judge Gideon John Tucker, Final Accounting in the Estate of A.B._, 1, Tucker (N.Y. Surrogate Court) 247, 249 (1866)

Gold Member

Here's the thing about platinum Eagles. When you want to sell, a local coin shop(if your lucky) will pay spot +$50. Bars maybe a hair under spot and Maples spot +$20. In order to get the full value your stuck selling on eBay. I stick to Maples and pay $80 over. Still a high premium, but it's what I favor.

Mother Lode Found

" what is the best play?", buy physical. Speaking from experience, I have done very well buying the best I could afford, deep cameo graded proofs years ago....( from Tulving) as for " selling", mom and pop shops do not have the money to buy in quantity the graded proofs, larger recognized PM dealers who do have money ( lots of money) will...if you are in PM's to " play", you will more than likely lose.

Midas Member

I stacked a lot of physical PT when spot was under 1k......as a alternative long term investment.........premiums are always governed by replacement costs......as with any physical PM purchase watch the market and buy dips n sales anything to lower premium............if your just doing a short term direct metal gamble then Paper ETFs as mentioned are as good a play as any...

Seeker

True but that "perception" is irrational. Other mint's that produce Platinum coinage produce the same quality with a lower premium. Why would you pay a premium for someone else's irrational fantasy that the mint of the country is that much better than a foreign mint's product? Add this kicker in too. The courts have held that all US coinage produced by its mints are the property of the US government and such the courts have left a legal loophole yet to be exploited for another twisted justification to allow another 1933 confiscation. (yes, I know this is just a llegal "what if" but in the last 10 years we have seen so many far fetched legal "what ifs" become judicial precedent). With a foreign coin the US government "supposedly" has no claims on the piece... then again with the way the SCOTUS justified Obama-Care as a tax, not a tax, insurance, not-insurance, mandate, voluntary, etc. anything is possible.

To my way of thinking this is a real concern, and makes me lean toward acquiring Canadian, Brittish etc. metals. I wouldn't put anything past this government though, and under the right set of circumstances there may be no safe havens.

Gold Member

From an 'it all melts the same' standpoint, yes it's irrational to prefer plat eagles. But I'm in the USA and it's rational to assume American's preference for APE's will persist, and their scarcity in the market will persist so the premiums will persist. After a 6 year hiatus the mint lost money on pt eagles in '14. Some have also been melted.

Gold Member

The mint has lost money on pt eagles every year since they returned in 2014, 2017 being a record loss of almost 2M. The new 2017 Pd eagle also lost money at 1.3M. Net income on silver eagles dropped from over 30M in 2016 to 0.5M in 2017.

Silver Member

The mint has lost money on pt eagles every year since they returned in 2014, 2017 being a record loss of almost 2M. The new 2017 Pd eagle also lost money at 1.3M. Net income on silver eagles dropped from over 30M in 2016 to 0.5M in 2017.